When promoting your book online, you must do more than post pictures of your cover if you want people to buy it. To be more precise, I want you to focus more on the message and why it matters to you than on trying to sell the book.
What are some of the topics your book covers? Use those topics as stepping stones to reach your target audience. If your book is about how you survived an abusive relationship, you should be finding communities dedicated to eradicating domestic violence and creating content around how you survived it based on what you’ve written in your book. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so you will want to work hard to share your expertise with the people who need it.
If you wrote a fiction book, what kind of escape does it provide readers? Is it entertaining? Romantic? Educational? Does it make us stop to think? Is it thought-provoking? Does it make us laugh until our stomach hurts? The world is hurting now, so people are looking for that getaway.
If you wrote a poetry book, consider participating in open mic nights or reciting poems live on Instagram or TikTok. Join poetry contests, and of course, you cannot miss National Poetry Month in April!
The idea is to focus less on selling the book and more on building community around its content. Think about how your book can add value to readers in your community rather than how you can make a sale.
Share Your Journey and Expertise at Least 1 Year Before Publishing Your Book
I released Black History Facts on February 24, 2024. However, the book has been selling steadily since September 2023, when I placed it on preorder. I attribute this largely to how I readied my audience for the book years before it was released. They were prepared when it arrived.
As soon as I knew I would publish the book, I posted black history videos and behind-the-scenes content of my trips to museums and historical landmarks, and I shared new information I found.
I took my people everywhere I went, and they couldn’t wait to see the final product. It became more than a book, but a movement they were just as much a part of as I was.
Post Your Preorder/Buy Link At the Same Time as Your Cover Reveal
Revealing the cover of your new book can be thrilling, but failing to include a buy link means missing out on a lot of potential sales. Whether you’re putting up preorders or announcing the book’s publication, keep your cover reveal for when you’re ready to begin collecting orders. People will be ecstatic to learn you wrote a book and will be willing to buy it right away after viewing your cover, especially if it’s dope!
Pay attention to those who are traditionally published. When these authors show you the cover of a new book, you can also preorder it.
Increase Your Book Reviews
Book reviews are still underrated. Many people do not think they matter, but they do and help authors! And you can work to increase it no matter what stage of the process. Even months or years after release, you can still increase the reviews you receive.
Seek the help of book bloggers, beta readers, and reputable paid review services such as Kirkus and Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews.
The biggest perk to reviews is that they act as social proof. Anyone can call themselves a best-selling author, but reviews help verify that other people think the book is dope, not just the author who wrote it.
It will be odd for someone claiming to be a best-seller to have no book reviews. If it’s such a great book, people should be talking about it.
Book reviews also increase the author’s Amazon rating and expose the book to people who have never heard of it.
I strive to get at least 5-10 book reviews on Amazon in the first few weeks of release and increase from there. However, Amazon is one of many places where people can leave reviews. Blog book reviews are also helpful. Remember, a review is just feedback, so if someone emails you or direct messages you praise for your book, you can use it as a review! (with permission) Slap that bad boy on a graphic and post it to social media as social proof.
Have a Post-Publishing Strategy (Don’t Forget About the Book Once It’s Published)
Too many authors focus solely on the publishing date, but your book is much more than that. Consider how to continue spreading the word about your book after publication. Visit your local libraries and bookstores to inquire about readings, look for interview opportunities, and participate in events, contests, and more. You still want the book to sell after it has been published, so make sure you are working to make that happen.
The PBS Blog 